My Concession Speech (The End of the Duke Season)

[MEbenhoe]

Well with Duke falling to MSU tonight, its time that I end my season of cheering on my favorite team in all of sports. What made this loss even sadder for me was that I was stuck coaching a track meet today in the pit that is Iowa from 9 am to 1 am, and didn't get to watch the game or get coverage of the game at all. It's really depressing that the first Duke game that I don't watch this year is the one that ends their season.

Farewell to Daniel Ewing. He has been one hell of a player for the Duke program and I hope he goes on to prosper in the NBA. Hopefully, Redick and Williams will make the wise choice and come back for another year. If those two do both return, along with Randolph, Melchionni, Dockery, and Nelson. The incoming class of McRoberts, Boateng, Paulus, and Pocius should give Duke the talent and depth needed to be one of the leading contenders for the National Championship next year. I'm looking forward to that.

I have to admit this team overachieved in many ways this year. It went to its 8th straight sweet 16, and won its 6th ACC tourney in 7 years (something almost no one would've predicted preseason). Any season that ends in a loss isn't a happy one, but I think years from now this team will go down as one of Coach K's best coaching jobs.

With that said, thanks for not sticking it to me too hard for this loss.

Good luck Illinois
Good luck Arizona
Good luck Louisville
Good luck West Virginia
Good luck Wisconsin
Good luck Michigan State
Good luck Kentucky

[IggyWH]

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Hopefully, Redick and Williams will make the wise choice and come back for another year.

[/ QUOTE ]

The wise choice is taking the money and run. Not sure how they would do in the draft but I don't see this years class as being anything great so say bye bye bye.

[mmbt0ne]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">En réponse à:</font><hr />
If those two do both return, along with Randolph...

[/ QUOTE ]

Come on, base your hopes for next year on someone else. He's got a stat named after him for christ's sake. The Shavlik = more fouls than points. He lived up to it tonight too.

Everything else you said I'll grudgingly agree with.

[bugstud]

so when does Reddick go into the pool

[MarkL444]

so classy i almost feel bad about laughing at you. but i must.

ahahahhahahaha
/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /images/graemlins/tongue.gif /images/graemlins/tongue.gif /images/graemlins/tongue.gif /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[MEbenhoe]

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Hopefully, Redick and Williams will make the wise choice and come back for another year.

[/ QUOTE ]

The wise choice is taking the money and run. Not sure how they would do in the draft but I don't see this years class as being anything great so say bye bye bye.

[/ QUOTE ]

I honestly don't believe either one will leave early, but I would say there's a better chance Williams does than Redick, but neither of them are likely to be lottery picks, and could both end up borderline 1st rounders this year. No reason to leave early.

[MEbenhoe]

P.S. Clarkmeister, in what form would you like your $10 and I need an avatar/loc from you for a week.

[Tyler Durden]

Did you go to Duke?

[Uston]

Best line I've read this morning...

"I don't think there are more than 316 other coaches in Division I who could have taken a veteran club of seven McD's All-Americans to the sweet sixteen."

[Clarkmeister]

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P.S. Clarkmeister, in what form would you like your $10 and I need an avatar/loc from you for a week.

[/ QUOTE ]

Same avatar/loc as Dead and Danger Goodson have right now. I'll pm about the $10.

I do wonder how it's always talked about how it's "amazing" the coaching job K did this year with "only" 5 McD AA's on the team. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[MEbenhoe]

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Did you go to Duke?

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no, i currently attentd UW La Crosse

[MEbenhoe]

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Same avatar/loc as Dead and Danger Goodson have right now.

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I'll do this, however I must say I'm rather disappointed in your lack of creativity.

[Clarkmeister]

I like it, it's kind of like a brand. Every time someone sees that avatar its like "ah, Clark must've won a bet", only I don't need to have it explicitly pointed out.

Besides, I know myself and if I came up with unique ones every time, I'm sure I'd come up with one that's too mean or inappropriate. This one's nice, fun and harmless. And cute too!

[Dead]

It is cute. I might even keep the pony after the week is up. But not the location. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[nothumb]

Redick might as well stay, so he can have one more season with his padrone before he becomes just another undersized white two-guard warming the end of a Canadian team's bench.

Williams could go, and play.

NT

[Blackjack]

On a sidenote - does anyone think Mike Gansey has NBA potenshul?

[Rob Blackburn]

Its obvious he didn't go to Dook, no Dook student/alum would make a speech like this, they are too busy planning their trip to the Jersey Shore this summer.

[trying2learn]

wow...i think MEbenhoe threw me for a bit of a loop this morning. i can't think of anytime the sun shines brighter than the day after duke's exit from the tourney, but there's no denying how classy that post was to start this thread. almost makes me feel a little sorry...almost.

[Clarkmeister]

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I have to admit this team overachieved in many ways this year

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Really? (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&amp;Number=2006846&amp;page=&amp;view=&amp;s b=5&amp;o=&amp;vc=1)

[Clarkmeister]

This one's for Mark.

http://www.msu.edu/%7Ehuizing7/clips/AgerDunkAnim3.gif

[bugstud]

note in the video brown takes the same amount of steps as 'nova's guy last night...

[holeplug]

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Redick might as well stay, so he can have one more season with his padrone before he becomes just another undersized white two-guard warming the end of a Canadian team's bench.

Williams could go, and play.

NT

[/ QUOTE ]

I just hope Redick goes so Dukie V stops jacking off to his NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR.

[Dead]

I don't think JJ should get Player of the Year, regardless of what Vitale thinks. It should be Bogut. But it could very well go to Deron Williams or another Illini.

[Clarkmeister]

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I don't think JJ will get Player of the Year, regardless of what Vitale thinks. It should and will probably be Bogut.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bogut is maybe even more overrated than JJ. I was totally underwhelmed by his games in the tournament. I'll still take Salim.

[Dead]

I don't think Salim is even being considered.

I do think that he should be considered before JJ.

[holeplug]

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I don't think JJ will get Player of the Year, regardless of what Vitale thinks. It should and will probably be Bogut.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bogut is maybe even more overrated than JJ. I was totally underwhelmed by his games in the tournament. I'll still take Salim.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with Bogut being very overrated. I honestly don't see whats so special about him. The worst was the announcers constantly praising every damn thing he did during Utah's games in the tourney. You would think no other 7 footer in the history of basketball could hit a guard cutting to the hoop going by the announcers in his games. I'll just laugh at the team that takes him over Chris Paul in April.

[Tyler Durden]

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Did you go to Duke?

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no, i currently attentd UW La Crosse

[/ QUOTE ]

Then why is Duke your "favorite team in all of sports"?

[MEbenhoe]

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Did you go to Duke?

[/ QUOTE ]

no, i currently attentd UW La Crosse

[/ QUOTE ]

Then why is Duke your "favorite team in all of sports"?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've been a lifelong fan, which makes more sense IMO than someone just becoming a fan because they attend Duke.

[MEbenhoe]

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I have to admit this team overachieved in many ways this year

[/ QUOTE ]

Really? (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&amp;Number=2006846&amp;page=&amp;view=&amp;s b=5&amp;o=&amp;vc=1)


[/ QUOTE ]

Oh cmon, it's so obvious that that was blind team spirit that made that comment. And my comment from the first post in this thread was my way of admitting I was way off in that statement.

[Shajen]

It's all my fault.

I sat down to watch at the half. 32-32. Uh oh.

First 20 seconds of the second half, down by 2. I watch a little longer, they get down by like 6.

I stop watching.

I never should have started watching in the first place.

I'd say this was a great season overall for Duke.

In Mark's thread on this game I state what would have to happen for Duke to lose. They did exactly that. JJ disappeared, Williams got in foul trouble, they turned the ball over, played really sloppy over matched basketball. Not only that, but Izzo's team played really well. Izzo is a great coach, and his team played great, so I'm not trying to take anything away from them.

I also tried to watch the UNC game. Ugh. I can't do it.

I just can't root for any other ACC team. I thought I could, but I'm wrong. It's like rooting for syphilis.

At this point I think I'm done watching the whole tourney. I'll probably watch the championship game, but that's about it.

I'd rather make some cashesh on Party than watch teams I'm not interested in play on.

Good season for the Dukies. See ya next year folks. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[GrooveNougat]

I think the Sports Guy summed it up best:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/cowbell/blog

http://espn.go.com/dickvitale/vcolumn011002ShavlikRandolph-more.html

Go Illini